GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian death toll in the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza surpassed that of Operation Cast Lead on Thursday as the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks hit 1,437.

In the most recent lethal Israeli attack, an airstrike hit the al-Bayoumi family home in al-Nusairat refugee camp, killing at least 11 Palestinians and injuring at least 45.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, 1,417 Palestinians were killed during Israel's infamous three-week offensive on Gaza in 2008-2009.

Some 5,303 people were injured during Cast Lead, while at least 8,265 have been injured throughout Operation Protective Edge, Israel's name for its current offensive.

At the end of the 2009 war, ten Israeli soldiers had been killed. Militants in Gaza have done more damage this time, with 56 soldiers killed so far.

The current offensive is still ongoing on its 24th day, while Cast Lead ended after 22 days.

Gaza militants and Israel also fought a war in late 2012, which lasted a week and left 174 Palestinians dead.

The current offensive showed no signs of stopping on Thursday, as the US restocked Israel's ammunition and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would accept no ceasefire that did not allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza and destroy tunnels.

Militants in Gaza, meanwhile, say they will not stop fighting until the eight-year Israeli-imposed economic blockade on the Strip comes to an end.

Latest Ministry of Health statistics

According to the Ministry of Health, 23 percent of those killed throughout the current offensive have been children.

Some 12 percent have been women, the ministry says.

Sixty of the dead have been elderly.

Meanwhile, of the 8,265 people injured in the offensive, 30 percent have been children, 20 percent have been women, and 4 percent elderly.

Twenty-nine medical facilities including thirteen hospitals have been damaged by Israeli attacks, the ministry said. Operations were ongoing in 26 out of the 29 medical facilities when they were hit.

A Palestinian man taking shelter at a UN school carries his woundedchild to the Kamal Edwan hospital in Beit Lahia, the northern Gaza Strip,early on July 31, 2014 (AFP Mohammed Abed)

Latest attacks

So far on Thursday, 79 Palestinians have been killed and 350 have been injured, health ministry spokesman al-Qidra said in a statement.

A Palestinian teenager was killed and five were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Khan Younis late Thursday.

Muhammad Ammar Sharaf was also killed in an airstrike targeting a group of people in al-Nuseirat.

Sixty-eight-year-old Atiyeh Salama al-Hashash was also killed in an Israeli attack on Rafah.

Palestinian firefighters try to extinguish the flames in a van that was reportedly targeted by an Israeli military strike, in Gaza City on July 31, 2014 (AFP Mohammed Abed)

1 ) Mike Gianni / USA

31/07/2014 20:51

Hamas would be a lot happier if there were 14000 or better yet 140000 deaths...because that's how they hope to win...if I were Israel I would pull back the ground forces..just enough to continue to work the tunnels...use drones and guided munitions to get the rocket stores and shooters...ruin the infrastructure ..clamp down all supplies...make it a war of attrition...wear them out...make them crawl ...

2 ) Malone / Hfx

31/07/2014 21:48

No sympathy what so ever..Hamas started this and now Gaza is in ruins...don't stop now Israel,til every last cowardly Hamas savage is dead...do it right this time

3 ) Brian Cohen / Israel

31/07/2014 22:03

Criminal Hamas and their criminal supporters around the world. The is no such thing as "right of resistance" to shoot rockets at civilians - that is a war crime. If you support human rights, then you know that Hamas is guilty and its leaders and field commanders must stand trial at the ICC. If you know international law, you know that Hamas has been committing war crimes for almost 30 years. That is fact, not opinion. Just like Cast Lead, Hamas has brought death and destruction. Hamas is guilty.

4 ) Jay / USA

31/07/2014 22:05

Every Palestinian killed - every Palestinian injured - is the fault and result of the terrorist groups that ''run'' Gaza. Every donation given to help the people if Gaza has gone to Hamas to build tunnels and ''command centers''. They have completely destroyed and ignored their own people, not only denying them financial assistance but then using them as human shields while the cowards hide underground, hiding their faces from the public. Israel needs to finish them off once and for all.

5 ) Abdul / India

31/07/2014 22:48

The genocide continues in palestine by the terrorist occupier israel.History will never forgive them for the crime against humanity.the occupation &oppression of palestine land and palestine people must end.the terrorist occupier israel must be brought to justice for all the crime against humanity.

6 ) ricard / america

31/07/2014 23:18

wow

7 ) David / USA

31/07/2014 23:54

Tragic waste of humanity. But the far deeper concern is how could the people of Gaza let Hamas launch rockets into Israel for 9 years? Didn't anyone tell their ELECTED officials to stop it? Why not? The people of Gaza have to run the Hamas jihadists out of Gaza if they are ever going to have normal lives. Jihad is not a way of life, it's a sure fire way to death. It's past the time for Imams to tell the flock that 'this jihad thing is obsolete and should be forgotten.' Why don't they?

8 ) ABE / USA

01/08/2014 00:00

Sad as this is, the death of children I guess no Hamas fighters have died in combat? just civilians amazing!!

9 ) Naser ilna / Canada

01/08/2014 00:48

All I have to say is: If Isreal (is not real) considers this destroying tunnels... I have to say Isreal is cross eyes! They are missing every tunnel and aiming at suvillians.
SHAME ON ISREAL!

10 ) Naser ilna / Canada

01/08/2014 01:43

Wana talk about international law.... Who is isreal? Why are they on our land? U are talking about the last 7 years... What about since 1948.
Go take a history lesson and come back and comment you stubborn yankie!!!

11 ) trish b / ireland

01/08/2014 01:56

Aiming at tunnels!!!!! Dont make me laugh. USA wake up, hospitals, schools, un shelters for women and children, do they look like tunneks to you??? Have you guys actually gone into the israeli embassy in irelands twitter and looked and read what they posted??? Its scary guys and the diplomats response is scarier. Targeting innocent children is not protecting yourself from rockets its nothing more then genocide and Israel should be punished, tunnels you say....dont make me laugh......its a sin!

12 ) Outlier / USA

01/08/2014 02:37

9., Naser, you are difficult to take seriously if you cannot spell Israel.

13 ) David / UK

01/08/2014 05:21

As someone who has followed this website regularly for years, the obvious paid Israeli propaganda commenters above are quite...obvious. Can somebody send Ma'an some internal e-mails or something, directing you all to come here? That would be a good story. Hackers could probably get it also...get on it, boys!

14 ) mexica / mexico

01/08/2014 05:49

hey netanyahu go fight a real army. like the iranian quds force. you will see is no the same. as killing women and children. you terrorist netanyahu are protected by USAand the irrelevant UN.

15 ) Nicole / Canada

01/08/2014 06:15

The comments on here for the most part are horrifying. This is nazi Germany all over again. I pray that god forgives your sins, because I do not, nor do millions of others in support of Gaza. Israel is an illegitimate state. Everything about this situation is wrong, and the people on here in sighting hateful remarks is every bit as shameful as the brutal murder and ethic cleansing happening in Gaza.

16 ) Keith / South Africa

01/08/2014 06:57

The only terrorists I see are the Israelis. Hamas is only labelled a terrorist organisation because the US says so. Everywhere else in the world they are freedom fighters. Gaza is occupied by Israel and THAT is the reason people fight for their freedom. What is wrong with fighting to rid yourself of oppression. The world stood United against apartheid in South Africa. Against the Berlin Wall. Against Nazi Germany and mass genocide. The US needs to start acting like an idiot.

17 ) Outlier / USA

01/08/2014 07:07

One big difference between this conflict and Cast Lead - the quiet coming from Arab countries, with the exceptions of Iran, Qatar and Turkey. All the rest of the Arab world is done with radical Islam and wants it to go away permanently. Indeed, it would much rather work with Israel than deal with radical Palestinians like Hamas. Unloved by fellow Arabs, reviled by the rest of the world and without a postwar windfall, Hamas is finished, though it may take time for the truth to sink in.

18 ) Naushad Khan / South africa

01/08/2014 11:58

this whole war has only hidden agendas , like previous times israhell will continue killing civilians and hamas with their sufisticated weapons until there is no one to kill and then claim their land . Anybody with a logical mind will see that over the decades israhell has only one aim and that is too claim the land . They use little thing as an excuse to wage war on a defenceless state with no army . Tell israhell to take on russia or china and test their nuclear weapons .

19 ) Patrick O'Shaughnessy / Ireland

01/08/2014 13:12

@11 trish b - I've seen some of the posts on Social Media, including one from an IDF soldier purporting (happily) to have killed thirteen (Palestinian) children, and one from a woman working for the IDF who claimed to be near orgasmic when Israel killed four children on the beach in Gaza. Sickening, but then it's a bit like the pictures that came out of Iraq at Abu Ghraib. Same mentality, no wonder Israel & US support each other in their 'right to defend themselves against terror'. Sociopaths.

20 ) Shalom / Canada

01/08/2014 14:46

@17 - Actually the difference between this conflict & Cast Lead is that the hypocrisy of the majority of Arab nations is finally on show. Western leaders never question the origins of radical interpretations of Islam, instead they continue to turn a blind eye, because they want arms sales, money & oil. Having created this mess, they then collude with those Arab nations who wish to reinvent themselves for reasons of trade & aid, deflecting blame on others. This is not a fair fight, it's sickening

21 ) Rabiah / Uk

01/08/2014 15:17

It's just so sickening what going on in Palestine, it's seems there's no end to Israel s brutality , genocide and psychopathic attitude and above of everything USA always protecting and hiding Israel s evil and devilish actions. We know these Israelis wants to steal more land from Palestine and their greed never gonna end, and for this they slaughtering them, killing them everywhere and as soon as possible, destroying the tunnels r just a drama for the world.plz humans wake up b4 it's too late

22 ) Sam / USA

01/08/2014 16:01

The occupier is responsible for these war crimes, those under occupation have the right to resist the occupation killing machine supplied by the USA.
For information of those Zionist or the brainwashed by the Zionist is that : the people of Gaza are refugee being killed and driven from their homes , towns and villages, some of them can see their property from their refugee camp, will u accept if some one drive you from yr home, steal yr identity and yr culture by pack of lies, will u ,

23 ) @malone / your time

01/08/2014 16:48

#2 malone, you will rot and die a mirsable death, I wish I could be there to see you suffer..

24 ) Mel / USA

01/08/2014 16:51

That's what Israel planned to do! Do you think Israel would be MORE compassionate than Op.Cast Lead? Zionism is leading Israel down the path to self-destruct(Nukes,W/P,tanks,Drones,F16's regardless).The Judeo-Nazi's are in PANIC MODE to 'finalize the solution'("Death to/Gas the,Arabs")because the"Zionist Dream"IS,JUST A DREAM imploding under its OWN m.o. reality i.e. PERPETUAL HATRED &OFFENSIVE WARS. Israel's real enemy=MILITARIST,RACIST ZIONISM.What a waste for Jews!And Palestine will goes on!

25 ) sameer / SA

01/08/2014 17:40

all the cowards that are siding with isreal i guess your bank accounts are getting full with blood money from zionist pigs isrehell if only 1 of your suffered not 1% but 0.0000001% of what the PALESTINIANS have and still going trough your'll will cry blood tears the time is comming were the tide will turn and then we will see who are real fighters are and we dont have to wait to see who murderes are we see it now the IDF murdering children and women and the elderly.

26 ) Outlier / USA

01/08/2014 17:58

20., No, it has not been a fair fight, yet that did not keep Hamas from starting it. Hamas did so purposefully and cynically, hoping for abundant civilian casualties and a windfall of support. It got the former, but not the latter.

27 ) abdul / Daulat islamiya

01/08/2014 18:08

I always wondered if the saying "Americans dont any history apart from their own" was true. Thankfully all the americans posting here confirm that Americans are clueless. All I can say is Hamas has every right to free itself from an occupying force by whatever means necessary. Daulat Islamiyah! Baaqiyah!!! Al quds will be free of these Zionist terrorist. Israel is a terrorist state. I am not asking any American to get their facts right. You fat ignorant people are nothing but lazy

28 ) Dwood / RSA

01/08/2014 18:20

are you actually aware that Israel is illegally occupying the GAZA Strip?

We all know who the terrorists are and by killing innosent children is rail not gonna achive anything at the first Israel is on the land Of the Palestinian ppl and they should be viped off????

31 ) Gibbs / Kenya

01/08/2014 22:11

Let the Israel soldiers man up and fight their enemy terrorists. Wars are not won by sitting and pressing buttons. What is the point in killing children on the line of fire? To protect your children? No point.

32 ) Outlier / USA

02/08/2014 02:26

22, Sam Israel withdrew settlements from Gaza in 2005. No occupation for nine years. You going to need a better rationale.

33 ) K.S Saliken / Bangladesh

02/08/2014 07:34

in solidarity with GAZA

34 ) Steve / South Africa

02/08/2014 08:03

If Israel is really a great threat to the Middle East and Hamas have great support from the Arab world and their Muslim brotherhood, there must be enough Muslims in the world to literally walk over Israel? or as it is with most Muslims, big mouthed and nothing else? How many Jihadist and suicide bombers are there in Israel? If they are so keen to meet their maker then Israel should assist them by wiping them out once and for all off the face of the earth and let them meet their maker!

35 ) Sam / USA

02/08/2014 09:23

August 01, 2014 "ICH" - "The Guardian" - Here are a few questions you won’t hear asked of the parade of Israeli officials crossing US television screens during the current crisis in Gaza:
What would you do if a foreign country was occupying your land?
What does it mean that Israeli cabinet ministers deny Palestine’s right to exist?
What should we make of a prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who as opposition leader in the 1990s was found addressing rallies under a banner reading “Death to Arabs

36 ) Stephen Morley / UK

02/08/2014 11:14

One could argue that Jews took land from Palestine to create Israel using armed force. And under international law Palestine has the right to use armed force to take this land back. But the argument goes much deeper than this. Israel is not treating the citizens of Gaza humanely. They are denied the basic human rights of food and water as well as medicines, work and education. How was the Israelis feel if they were treated in such a manner? Would they just accept it?

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